(Milton) Canada broke the ice by winning a first medal at the UCI Nations Cup, climbing to the third step of the team pursuit podium.
The Canada A squad of Erin Attwell, Ariane Bonhomme, Maggie Coles-Lyster and Sarah van Dam came from behind to edge Americans Jennifer Valente, Lily Williams, Olivia Cummins and Chloe Dygert by more than three seconds and get your hands on the bronze medal.
The Canadians finished the race in four minutes, 15.961s (4:15.961s). They trailed by almost two seconds until one of their opponents was no longer able to keep pace, with several more laps to go. It was then enough to maintain the rhythm, which they succeeded.
It was Britain’s Katie Archibald, Megan Barker, Josie Knight and Jessica Roberts (4 min 12.539 s) who won gold, ahead of Germany’s Franziska Brausse, Mieke Kröger, Lena Charlotte Reissner and Laura Sussemilch (4 min 13. 511s).
The second Canadian team, consisting of Devaney Collier, Adèle Desgagnés, Kiara Lylyk and Fiona Majendie, finished eighth, their run coming to an end in the first elimination round.
On the men’s side, Dylan Bibic, Michael Foley, Mathias Guillemette and Carson Mattern just missed — two tenths of a second — their qualification for the small final with a time of 3 min 52.802 s in the afternoon. They finished the competition in fifth place.
It is still their best result of the season after two seventh places at the Nations Cups in Jakarta and Cairo, which will greatly help Canada’s qualification for the Paris Olympics in 2024.
It was the Britons Daniel Bigham, Josh Charlton, Michael Gill and Oliver Wood who won gold in 3 min 51.310 s ahead of the Italians Davide Boscaro, Francesco Lamon, Manilo Moro and Mattia Pinazzi (3 min 52.840 s) .
France (Donavan Grondin, Benjamin Thomas, Thomas Boudat, Valentin Tabellion) won bronze in 3:50.375 in a close race ahead of Australians Oliver Bleddyn, Kelland O’Brien, Blake Agnoletto and Conor Leahy (3:50 , 796 sec).
Canada could add two more medals in the team sprint. Among the ladies, Lauriane Genest, Kelsey Mitchell and Sarah Orban will fight for gold against the Mexicans.
The men’s team of James Hedgecock, Tyler Rorke and Nick Wammes will try to win bronze against the representatives of Great Britain.
